The Sarbanes-Oxley Act at 20: A Corporate Governance Legacy

Watch Recorded Event

The Historical Society hosts a live webcast on Thursday, July 21 in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). In this program, we shine a light on provisions of SOX dealing with corporate responsibility and enhanced financial disclosures. Issues for discussion include CEO/CFO certification, director independence, audit committee responsibilities, compensation recovery, prohibition on personal loans, a Code of Ethics requirement, more rapid and fulsome corporate disclosures, and additional governance reforms that were not required, but inspired, by the Act and promulgated by the New York and Nasdaq stock exchanges.

Our panel of former SEC regulators on the front lines of SOX implementation 20 years ago address the historical context in which these reforms came about, provide insights into the SEC’s efforts to implement the new requirements, and consider the lasting legacy of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on the governance of public companies.

Panelists:

• Alan L. Beller – former Director, SEC Division of Corporation Finance (2002 – 2006)
• David M. Lynn, former Chief Counsel, SEC Division of Corporation Finance (2003 – 2007)
• Shelley E. Parratt, former Deputy Director, SEC Division of Corporation Finance (2003 – 2021)
• Harvey L. Pitt – former Chairman, U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (2001 – 2003)
• Annemarie Tierney, former Assistant General Counsel, NYSE Euronext (2002 – 2008)

Museum Adds to its Oral Histories Collection

In constructing a new gallery on the history of the SEC’s regional offices to be launched later this year, the Historical Society conducted nine related oral histories over the course of the past year: Wayne M. Carlin, Marc Fagel, Merri Jo Gillette, Daniel M. Hawke, Donald Hoerl, Kenneth Israel, Carmen J. Lawrence, Walter G. Ricciardi, and Lori A. Richards. Here, we feature three extraordinary women interviewed, each of whom played integral roles not only in the regional offices where they served, but as major forces in the SEC as a whole.

• Merri Jo Gillette

  This oral history was made possible with the generous support of Baker McKenzie and Charles River Associates.

• Carmen J. Lawrence

  This oral history was made possible with the generous support of King & Spalding.

• Lori A. Richards

  This oral history was made possible with the generous support of Andrew J.Bowden, Peter B. Driscoll, Carlo di Florio, and Marc Wyatt.